The present invention relates to a safety lighter providing safety operation, being capable of lighting only after a cocking operation.
Currently manufactured gas lighters generally comprise a supply of liquified gas, an expander, a burner, and a flint-and-striking-wheel lighting assembly. The burner is moveable in translation, and depending on its position, expanded gas is allowed to flow or is prevented from flowing. It is known that the motion of the burner can be controlled by means of a tilting pushbutton on which the user's thumb bears, with burner motion taking place after causing the striking wheel to rotate (which wheel is in contact with the flint in conventional lighting). The tilting motion of the pushbutton raises the burner head, thereby allowing expanded gas to rise into the sparks. When piezoelectric lighting is used, then the sparks are generated by applying pressure to a pushbutton which is a sliding member and which also allows gas to flow.
In general, manufacturers have sought to make lighting a lighter as simple as possible. However, such lighters present dangers if used by children.
The object of the present invention is to mitigate this drawback by making a lighter more difficult to light so that it can be lighted only after a determined and deliberate operation, and in particular so that a child cannot cause it to light. In general, the invention seeks to increase operating safety for lighters, and also relates to the pushbutton of the lighter.
In order to return the burner automatically towards its closed position, a spring is generally provided beneath the pushbutton with the spring returning the burner to its rest position in which the flow of gas is cut off, with the gas flow channel being closed by a seal.
The spring must be powerful enough to act via the pushbutton and the burner to cause the seal to be pressed adequately against its seat. However, for safety reasons, it turns out that the spring needs to be more powerful than is required for ensuring sealing so as to ensure that there is no danger of accidental lighting due, for example, to the pushbutton bearing against an obstacle inside a pocket.